Between now and Opening Day, HardballTalk will take a look at each of baseball’s 30 teams, asking the key questions, the not-so-key questions, and generally breaking down their chances for the 2014 season. Next up: The Boston Red Sox. The Big Question: Have the Red Sox taken the steps necessary to avoid a post-championship decline? No…

Ryan Dempster posted a disappointing 4.57 ERA in 171 1/3 innings last summer for the Red Sox and did not get a postseason start, but he was still expected to open the 2014 campaign in Boston’s rotation. That is no longer going to happen. According to FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, the veteran right-hander announced Sunday…

I couldn’t even begin to tell you whether Terry Francona was a more deserving Manager of the Year candidate than John Farrell. No one has ever explained to me some basis for comparing managers that makes choosing that award anything close to a clear or objective process. There are far more moving parts to a…

With Jacoby Ellsbury, Mike Napoli, Stephen Drew and Jarrod Saltalamacchia all filing for free agency, the world champion Red Sox would seem to have a whole lot of flexibility this winter. Even without signing any replacements, they have a perfectly legitimate 25-man roster ready to go: SS: Xander Bogaerts: $500,000 RF: Shane Victorino: $13 million…

These Boston Red Sox are a new kind of dynasty. I suppose there’s a question if they really ARE a dynasty, if that word “Dynasty” even means anything in today’s game, with 30 teams and the game’s structure pushing toward parity. But Boston did win its third World Series in a 10-year-span. Only eight teams…

Red Sox manager John Farrell said prior to Monday’s Game 5 that jake Peavy, who just started Saturday’s Game 3, would be available in relief tonight, and that Clay Buchholz, who started Game 4, could work out of the pen once the series returns to Fenway Park on Wednesday. Farrell also declined to commit to…

These last few weeks couldn’t have been easy for Red Sox left-hander Felix Doubront. With Clay Buchholz back and ready to pitch in the postseason, Doubront was sent to the pen at the end of the regular season after going 11-6 with a 3.87 ERA in his 27 starts. He didn’t want to make the…

ST. LOUIS — A start from a broken pitcher that went way better than anyone might have guessed. A three-run homer from the most unlikely of men. On a night when the smart money was lining up against the Boston Red Sox, the storylines didn’t go the way they were supposed to go, resulting in…

David Ortiz seems to be the only consistent source of offense for the Red Sox thus far in the World Series. He led off the fifth inning of Game 4 with a double to right-center, their first extra-base hit of the night against Cardinals starter Lance Lynn. Lynn started to unravel, walking Jonny Gomes, and…

Carlos Beltran gave the Cardinals the early 1-0 lead in Game 4 of the World Series with an RBI single up the middle with one out in the bottom of the third inning against Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz. The opportunity came about after Matt Carpenter singled to center, then advanced to second base when…

There was some concern about Clay Buchholz going into his start in Game 4 of the World Series due to tightness in his right shoulder, the same one that knocked him out of commission for three months during the regular season. Nevertheless, Red Sox manager John Farrell gave his right-hander the ball. Through two innings,…

Red Sox outfielder Shane Victorino has been pulled from manager John Farrell’s starting lineup for Game 4 of the World Series due to lower back tightness, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. As a result, Daniel Nava will move from left field to right field, and Jonny Gomes will enter into the lineup and play…

Oh boy. You’re going to be hearing a lot about the ending of this one for a long time. Let’s set up the scene: Brandon Workman in for his second inning of relief. Matt Adams strikes out on a dropped third strike. Yadier Molina bloops a single to shallow right-center. Allen Craig pinch-hits. Reliever Koji…

Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz has been dealing with tightness in his right shoulder, but manager John Farrell said he will start Game 4 of the World Series anyway. Today, Buchholz reiterated to the media that he isn’t feeling 100 percent, but “this time of year, you don’t expect anybody to be 100 percent.” (via Jayson…

After the Cardinals and Red Sox split the first two games of the 2013 World Series, the scene shifts to St. Louis for Game 3 tonight. First pitch is scheduled for 8:07 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on FOX. Here’s a quick look at the pitching matchup and some random notes: The…

The Red Sox will go with starter Clay Buchholz in Game 4 of the World Series, reports USA TODAY’s Bob Nightengale on Twitter. Some were concerned that Buchholz, dealing with tightness in his right shoulder, would have to be skipped in the rotation, but that won’t be the case. According to Brooks Baseball, Buchholz showed…

Clay Buchholz is not injured, he and the Sox say. And he is still scheduled to start Game 4 on Sunday in St. Louis. But the Red Sox’ ace did acknowledge last night that he is suffering from arm fatigue, reports WEEI. “Just a little bit of fatigue setting in … It’s just a little…

BOSTON — There seems to be quite a bit of talk about continuity going into this year’s World Series. Well, hey, it’s the Cardinals and the Red Sox again. Fourth time. That was the matchup in ’46, with Stan Musial and Ted Williams, Enos Slaughter and Johnny Pesky, Red Schoendienst and Bobby Doerr and that…

This is more of a “keep it in the back of your mind” thing, as the Red Sox say that their plans with respect to Clay Buchholz have not changed for the World Series. But Rob Bradford of WEEI reports that there is at least some question about Buchholz’s health at the moment: While a…

From Alex Speier, the excellent Red Sox beat writer at WEEI.com: Red Sox manager John Farrell said that after Jon Lester starts Game 1 of the World Series, John Lackey will start Game 2, in part based on a desire not to have his next trip to the mound be too far removed from his dominant performance in Game 3 of…

It came as no surprise when Red Sox manager John Farrell announced this afternoon that Jon Lester will start Game 1 of the World Series against the Cardinals on Wednesday, but there could be a change in store for Game 2. While Clay Buchholz started Game 2 of the ALCS against the Tigers, Sean McAdam…